Slowly Breaking
by XionTheBlackRose
Summary: Love doesn't exist if it exists in a beating, in a harsh word. If someone says they love you, they're lying. There's no such thing as love. It's a mistake, a broken promise. They'll give you flowers, candy, sugarcoated words, but it's all a lie to make you stay, to make you forgive. Make you forget. I believe in love, every damn time he screams at me, hits me. Love exists in lies.
1. The Lawyer and The Delinquent

**Hello, everyone. XionTheBlackRose, here! This is a prequel to another story of mine, Secrets. That story mentioned a previous relationship Ventus's brother Roxas experienced before Ventus met Vanitas. That's what this story is. The life of the two brothers before Vanitas, it's Roxas's struggle with a relationship that got way out of his control. You don't need to read Secrets to understand what this story is about, but reading Secrets after this, will surely make Roxas's actions in Secrets make a little more sense.  
**

 **This story is rated M for scenes of beatings and self harm.**

 **Thank you for coming back for another story, I hope you enjoy. Leave a review and let know what you think.**

 **Xion, out!**

* * *

 **The Lawyer and The Delinquent**

My brother Ventus and I walk through the mall, laughing. Ventus shakes his head, "No, he seriously did that!"

"No way, that's too crazy even for him!" I wrap my arms around my stomach, trying not to fall over as I'm walking since I'm laughing so hard.

Ventus puts his hand on my shoulder, "It's true, ask him yourself!"

I shake my head, giggling like an idiot, "Sora's an idiot."

"He just knows how to get out of detention," Ventus snickers, "Well, how did you escape today's detention?"

"Easy," I grin, "I left school when the final bell rang."

Ven laughs, "You're so dead tomorrow!"

I wipe tears from my eyes, "I'm dead when I get home, you know the principal's probably called Dad by now."

"Oh, no," Ven straightens up, looking scared, "You're going to get g-g-g-g- _grounded!_ "

He bursts out laughing again and I join him. I playfully smack him on the back of the head and he stumbles forward, into someone. He gasps upon the impact and I try not to laugh as I apologize to the stranger, "Sorry, sir!"

The man couldn't be too much older than I am. He's slightly tan, his dark brown hair frames his face loosely and he has these sharp blue eyes. He steps away from Ven and his eyes lock with mine. He smiles lightly, "Be careful, before one of you gets hurt."

Ventus nods, taking a few steps away, "Yeah, sorry."

"We'll be careful," I promise, smiling lightly in return.

"Good," he winks at me as he passes us. Ven frowns, looking back at me, "Did he just wink at you?"

I shake my head, "It's whatever. Let's get to the food court, I'm starving."

He sighs and turns back, heading the way we've been going. We get to the food court and we both get nachos before sitting at an empty table. Ven stuffs a hand full of chips and cheese into his mouth and I snicker as his cheeks puff out like a chipmunk. _He's such a kid sometimes._ I lean back in my seat and sigh, "So, we graduate at the end of the year, got any plans?"

"Iph goinch uh cophege," he says, stuffing more chips in his mouth. I roll my eyes, "Slow down before you choke. I didn't understand a thing you said."

He swallows his food, giggling, "I said, I'm going to college."

"College?" I raise an eyebrow, "What for?"

He's never said anything about being interested in any colleges. He shrugs, "I've been mulling it over and I've decided I want to be a lawyer. There's this college a few towns over with a great business program. I've looked it up a few times, if I can get a scholarship this year, that'll cut the initial cost in half."

I nod, "That's actually pretty good."

He grins, "I'll be the best lawyer, I'll even keep you from jail when you start looting houses, if you ask nicely."

I chuckle, "I'm not a criminal, Ven."

He wiggles his eyebrows, "Not yet."

I laugh, "Whatever, loser."

He throws chips at me and I try to slap him again, "Hey!"

We both laugh, going back to eating our snack. After we finish, we leave the mall. The sun is starting to set and I know Dad's going to be very angry with us for going to the mall without permission, and I ditched detention, again. Ventus sighs, swinging his arms back and forth, "Hey, Roxas?"

I look over at him, "Yeah?"

He looks back at me, "What do you want to do after we graduate?"

I look away, "I don't actually know.. To be so close to adulthood, and still acting like I'm still in middle school.. I kind of don't want to grow up, at least not yet."

"Oh.." His voice softens, "Is that why you're trying to fail? School's only been going for two weeks, and you've already had detention almost every day, you've failed almost every test.."

"I don't want to talk about it." I walk ahead of him.

He keeps up with me, "I didn't mean to upset you."

He gently grabs my hand, "Are you.. Having trouble understanding what's being taught?"

I don't meet his eyes, staring down at the pavement beneath my feet. _I can lie, he never knows when I'm lying._ All I ever do is lie. I'm a delinquent, it's no wonder he thinks I'll be a criminal.

"Roxas," his soft voice takes me from my thoughts. I blink and look back at him. He smiles softly, "If you're having trouble, I can tutor you."

I smile softly, _My big brother, always looking out for me. What would I do without you?_ I nod, "I'd like that. Thanks, Ven."

We finally get home and Dad's waiting for us. He stands in the living room, his hands behind his back. His blue eyes are dark and angry. Like I expected anything less. Anger is all I see from him lately, but then again, that's my fault. I sigh, closing the door behind us, "You don't have to say it. I know I'm in trouble for skipping detention. And taking Ven to the mall without your permission."

Dad sighs and runs a hand through his blond spikes of hair, "Why do you have to keep acting this way? What's gotten into you all of a sudden? You've been a model student until this year."

I look down, "I'm sorry."

"I don't want an apology," he states, "I want an explanation."

I stick my hands in my pockets, staring at the carpet, "I just.. I'm just being a stupid kid, trying to impress my friends. I'm sorry, I'll do better from now on."

Dad sighs, "You better. You're not going to make anything of yourself if you don't graduate."

I nod, "So.. What's my punishment?"

"Grounded. Two weeks, no cell phone or internet. Hand over your phone and laptop." he replies.

I take my phone from my pocket and hand it to him. I then go to my room and grab my laptop. I give that to him, too, and then I return to my room. I lie on my bed and stare at the ceiling. I close my eyes, _My brother's going to be a big-shot lawyer, just like our Dad. And what am I going to be? Some poor bastard living in the street, begging for spare change._


	2. In Trouble Again

**In Trouble Again**

I'm sitting on the school rooftop and Riku comes up and sits beside me. I frown at him and he smirks lightly, "You know, you probably shouldn't stick around school when you're ditching class."

I roll my eyes, "Then what's your excuse?"

He shrugs, "Not skipping, just taking a break."

I nod lightly, looking out at the city beyond the school. I can still feel Riku's eyes on me and I glare at him, "Can you stop that. It's rude and annoying."

He holds his hands up in surrender, "Hey, I'm just here to help."

I look back at him, raising an eyebrow, "Help? Why?"

"On behalf of your brother, I am here to help you study." he replies.

I frown, looking away, "No thanks, I'm good."

He sighs, "Thought you'd say that."

"So, why are you here?" I ask.

"I told you, on behalf of Ven. He's worried about you." he replies.

I move and stand. I stick my hands in my pockets, "Yeah, when isn't he?"

I go back inside and run right into the principal. Riku comes down behind me and Xemnas frowns at us, "Mister Danforth, Mister Strife, my office, now."

I groan and follow him to his office. Riku walks behind me silently and I wonder if he's angry with me. It's my fault he's getting in trouble, because I'm an idiot and tried to ditch class. Again. Dad's going to add two more weeks to my grounding at this weight. We sit in Xemnas's office as he calls Riku's dad. Mine's not far off to be called, and I'm not looking forward to it. I glance at Riku, whispering, "Sorry."

"Don't be," he whispers back, "I'm not actually in trouble. I have a doctor's note to stay out of gym a few days."

I frown, "Oh.."

 _Of course I'm the only one getting in trouble. What else is new?_

* * *

I sit at the kitchen table across from Dad and he doesn't look happy. I look at him and before I can think to apologize, he speaks.

"I'm only going to say this once, Roxas, so listen well. I don't know what's gotten into you, but you will start doing better. No more detention, no more skipping class. I don't want a single phone call from the school, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," I whisper.

"Good. I'm going to get you an internship at my law firm. Maybe it'll teach you some responsibility and goals for your future." he states.

I frown, "Who am I interning for?"

"I'll let you know tomorrow. Now go to your room." he leaves the table and I go to my room. I sit on my bed and sigh, "Great, just great. It's Ven that wants to be a lawyer, not me.."

"Roxas?" Ven peeks into my room and I smile at him, "How was school?"

He frowns, "You got in trouble for ditching. Riku said you got suspended for a week?"

I nod, "Yeah, big surprise, right?"

"This isn't funny," he says, "You won't graduate if you keep doing this."

I sigh, "I know, I'm sorry. I'll do better. I promise."

"I'm here if you need me." he states.

I smile, "I know."

He smiles back, "Good. I brought your homework. And I'm going to bring your homework every day you're suspended. Don't worry, I'll help you with it."

I groan lightly, still smiling lightly, "Thanks, Ven. I can always count on you."

He beams, "What big brother would I be if I didn't look out for you?"

He comes and sits beside me on the bed. He takes a binder from his backpack and takes a few papers from inside. He hands them to me, "This is tonight's homework."

I look at them, and sigh, "Thanks, Ven."

We spend an hour in my room, Ven helping me with my homework. I'm not stupid, I just can't get some of this stuff. I thought I was smarter than this. We finish the homework and he puts it back in his backpack, "I'll turn this in for you in the morning."

I smile at him and he returns my smile. He leaves the room and I lie down on my bed. A moment later, Dad's standing in the doorway. I look at him in confusion, "Uh, yeah? What is it?"

 _How long has he been standing outside the room?_

"How long have you been having trouble with school?" he asks.

 _Too long._

"Um.. A year or two? Some of the stuff just doesn't click right, that's all. I'll get the hang of it, I won't skip class anymore, I promise." I reply.

He sighs, "All right. Dinner's almost ready, I'll call when it's ready."

I nod and he leaves, I assume back to the kitchen. I sigh and go back to staring at the ceiling. After awhile, Dad calls for dinner and I follow Ven to the table. I sit and eat in silence as Ven goes on about his day. After dinner, I do the dishes and clean the kitchen, as Ven had done the night before. That was the rule of the house; Dad worked, he cooked, so Ven and I would swap chores every day. I cleaned the living room, he cleaned the kitchen, then he'd clean the living room, and I'd clean the kitchen. And we both have to keep our rooms clean.

After my chores are done, I go back to my room and decide to read a book before I decide to go to bed. I won' t be going to school tomorrow, and I'll have to intern at Dad's law firm the day after, so what will I be doing tomorrow? Staying home and making sure the house stays clean, because I'm grounded, that's what I'll be doing tomorrow.


	3. Lenient Internship

**Lenient Internship**

I sigh as I get dressed to go with Dad to the law firm. Ven already left for school and Dad's waiting for me to finish getting ready so he can go to work. I put on the nicest T-shirt I have and blue jeans with my same dirty old sneakers. I leave my room, "Ready to go."

Dad frowns lightly, looking at his watch, "How on earth do you get to school on time?"

I chuckle lightly, "Sorry.. I didn't make you late did I?"

He shakes his head, smiling lightly, "No, we're good on time."

I know he's lying, but I smile anyway. "Great, well.. Let's get going."

He nods and grabs his keys off the key rack on the wall by the front door. I put my shoes on and follow him out the door. We get in the car and I stare out the window as Dad drives to the law firm. We park in the firm's parking lot and get out. I silently follow him into the huge office building. There's so many floors and offices. This is a ten story building after all. Best law firm in the state, and it's all thanks to Dad. I follow him to the elevator and stand beside him inside as he presses the button for the eighth floor.

He looks down at me then, "Interning isn't that hard. The most you'll be doing is running to copy papers, delivering cases to other employees or grabbing coffee from the lobby. Think you can handle that?"

I smile up at him, "Piece of cake. Who am I interning for?"

"You'll be interning for Mr. Blake." he replies, facing forward again.

I nod to myself, sticking my hands in my pockets. _Please don't let it be some creepy old guy that doesn't know what a calculator or a cellphone is._ The elevator doors open and I follow Dad down the floor of offices and people working in cubicles. We stop at an office with a number above the door; 872. Office 872. This must be who I'm interning for. Dad knocks once on the door before going inside. I follow him and my eyes widen lightly upon seeing who's sitting behind the desk. It's the same young man I pushed Ven into at the mall the other day.

He smiles at us, "Morning, Mr. Strife. You're a little late."

He meets my gaze and I look away, "That mus be Roxas."

"Yes, he'll be interning for you." Dad turns to me, "I have work to do. Hang around Mr. Blake's office and do what he tells you to. We go home at six."

He leaves the office, shutting the door behind him. I shrug lightly, muttering, "Well, this is.. Awkward."

Mr. Blake gestures to the chair at the side of his desk, "Sit down, kid. You don't need to stand there all day."

I go and sit beside his desk. I'm waiting for him to comment about the day at the mall, but he's focused on whatever he's looking through. There's a ton of folders on his desk in various piles. I tilt my head lightly, looking around the room. It's a simple office; plain white walls, filing cabinets cover the wall across from me from the desk to the door. Chairs are stacked against the wall behind me in the corner. A clock rests high on the wall across from the desk. It's pretty simple. I lean back in my chair, _Guess I'm just going to sit here until he wants me to do something._

I sigh softly and I look at Mr. Blake and he's staring at me with an eyebrow raised. I look down, "Sorry, Mr. Blake."

"What for? You're probably bored, huh, kid?" he smiles, "You can just call me Terra. You got your phone on you, right? You can listen to music or something for now. I'll let you know if I need you to run errands for me."

I look up and smile slightly, "Uh, yeah, thanks. And my name's Roxas, I'm not a kid, Mr. Bl- Uh, Terra."

He chuckles, "Not a kid, huh? How old are you, kid? _Uh, Roxas._ "

 _He's mocking me._ That takes me aback for a moment and then I cough lightly, sitting up a little straighter, "I'm nineteen."

He leans back, looking me up and down, "Really? You don't look that old."

I cross my arms, glaring halfheartedly, "Oh yeah? And how old are you, Mister Terra Blake? Forty-something?"

He laughs, "Hardly. I'm only twenty-four, kid."

"Quit calling me a kid, you're barely older than me." I frown.

Terra chuckles, "Okay, fair enough."

I drop my arms to my side and smile lightly, "At least you're not some old stiff."

Terra laughs again, "Shut up and listen to your music, _kid_."

He winks at me and I look away, fumbling in my pocket for my phone. I pull my phone from my pocket, untangling my headphones. I never leave home without them, I just didn't expect to use them until Dad and I are going home. I put the earbuds in and listen to music as I stare at the phone in my lap. After awhile, Terr nudges me and I quickly pull the buds from my ears and he's holding a few folders out to me. I put my phone away and stand, taking the folders.

"I need those all delivered to Mrs. Remiga in Office 334 on the third floor." Terra states.

I nod, rushing from the room, "Got it, boss."

I go to the elevator and hit the button labeled three. I lean against the wall, holding the folders against my chest as the elevator descends. The elevator finally opens and I walk around the third floor for almost ten minutes before I find Office 334. I knock on the door and a shrill woman's voice snaps, "What, I'm busy?"

I frown, "Um, Mrs. Remiga?"

"Yes, yes, what do you want?" the voice replies.

"I've got.. Um.. Some folders for you from Mr. Blake." I reply.

"Come in then," she says.

I open the door and bring the files to her desk, staring at the floor as I do so. I leave then, she seems like she'd bite my head off if I stayed a moment longer. I go back to the elevator and return to Terra's office. I take my seat and pull my phone back out to listen to music as Terra says, "Coffee run, kid. Black."

I groan lightly and put my phone back in my pocket as I leave the room. I see Terra smirk at me as I close the door behind me.


	4. Appreciation

**Appreciation**

The next week, I return to school once my suspension is up. Dad informs me I'll be interning for Mr. Blake straight after school until eight p.m. Dad's assistant, Tifa Lockheart will be picking me up from school and take me to the law firm. It kind of sucks, I can't really just wear what I want to school, because I won't be able to go home and change beforehand. Ven waves as he heads for the buses and I wave back as I follow Tifa to her car. I get in and she smiles at me as she starts the car, "How is the internship going?"

I shrug, "You don't have to ask that for Dad."

"I wasn't asking for him." she replies as we drive down the highway, leaving the high school behind. I shrug again, staring out the window, "Yeah, well.. It's going fine."

The rest of the ride is silent until we park at the firm. We get out and Tifa calls to me, "Your Dad will pick you up at eight."

I roll my eyes, "I know."

She just shakes her head, smiling. We enter the building and I follow her to the elevator. I get off on the eighth floor and she stays on. I assume she's going to Dad's office on the tenth floor. I sigh and make my way to Terra's office. My shoes squeak on the newly cleaned floor and I grimace, feeling eyes on me. I get to Terra's office and knock.

"Come in." his familiar voice resonates from inside.

I enter the office, closing the door behind me. He smiles at me and I return the smile, taking my seat beside him, "What do you got for me today, boss?"

Terra chuckles softly, "The usual. Papers to deliver, copies to make, coffee to bring me."

He smirks at me, "Think you can hand that?"

I smirk, rolling my eyes, "Piece of cake."

He laughs lightly and hands me a stack of papers, "I need all of these copied ten times. When you're done, hand each paper to all the employees on Floor two. Then you can come back and listen to your music for awhile."

I take the papers from him and leave. I go to the basement level and start making copies. It takes fifteen minutes to copy all the papers. I then go to the second level and hand everyone a few papers. When I don't have any more papers, I go back to Terra's office. I take my seat beside his desk again, raising an eyebrow, "Anything else before you lose me to rock music?"

"Rock music, huh?" he raises an eyebrow, "You one of those wanna-be edgy teens?"

He smirks and I blush lightly. Thinking of myself as edgy, his comment embarrasses me. I quickly look down as I pull my phone from my pocket, shrugging. I reply, hoping he didn't notice the coloration of my face, "I'm not a wanna-be.."

He chuckles, leaning back, "Come on, don't pout. I'm just messing with you, Rox. I like rock music, too."

I look back at him, frowning slightly, "Yeah? What's your favorite band?"

"Bring Me The Horizon," he winks, "You?"

I smile slowly, "Asking Alexandria."

He nods, "Good band, good band."

I relax a little. It's kind of weird, but I'm starting to feel more like Terra's my friend than my boss. He doesn't treat me like a little kid. He's nice and he jokes with me. He let's me basically do what I want as long as I do the work he assigns me. He's better than a friendly high school teacher. I untangle my headphones so I can listen to music.

"Hey, kid, everyday I see you untangling those headphones," Terra shakes his head, "Can't imagine they work that well with how tangled they get."

He opens the top left drawer of his desk and pulls out a brand new pair of wireless headphones. He hands it to me, "Here. This should work better, and it won't get tangled."

I stare at it, then at him in confusion, "You're giving this to me? Why?"

He shrugs, "Figure you need it more than I do. You're a cool, person, Roxas, I like having you around. Just take the headphones, okay?"

I continue to stare at him as I put the new headphones in my pocket, "Um.. Thanks. I.. I appreciate it."

He smiles, "Don't mention it."

A few weeks later, Terra buys me brand new shoes and I just stare at him when he presents them to me. He smiles, "Yours look kind of beat up. You never wear anything else, so.. I figured you need a new pair of shoes?"

I frown, "You didn't have to do that. Really. Dad's going to buy us new shoes tomorrow, which is what I was trying to tell you about why I can't intern after school tomorrow."

Terra sighs, setting the box with the new shoes inside on his desk, "Right, right, my bad. I obviously know Mr. Strife is loaded.."

I cross my arms, "It's not like that.. Look, I appreciate the gesture. You're looking out for me. You don't need to go wasting your money buying me things-"

Terra suddenly cuts me off, "Roxas, will you go out with me?"

I blink, "What?"

Terra runs a hand through his hair, looking flustered, "Look, I like you, okay? You're a sweet, funny guy. You're not that much younger than me, you're over eighteen, so it's not like I'm being inappropriate.. I know you like me, too. Or kind of consider it, given the way you stare at me some times."

I blush, stunned. I don't know what to say. I manage to choke out, "I-I don't think my Dad will a-approve.."

Terra nods, "Right. I know how this'll look to him. Never mind, don't worry about it."

I cross my arms loosely, looking away, "I'll.. Think about it.. Just.. Stop spending money on me.."

He nods again, "Got it, thanks.. I'm glad you'll at least consider it.."

I nod and turn to the door, "Well.. I gotta meet Dad in the parking lot."

"See you on Monday." he replies, waving.

I wave back as I leave the room. I quickly make my way to the elevator and then I leave the building. I see Dad standing by his car. He smiles as I approach. I smile back, waving lightly. I get in the car and we head home in shared silence. I don't think I could keep up a conversation if I wanted to. My mind's too busy trying to think over what Terra said. I mean, I've known I was gay since middle school, but I never thought anyone would ever ask _me_ out. He's right, he's only five years older than me, and I am over eighteen, so it'd be perfectly legal. I stare out the window, _Should I say "yes?"_


	5. Who I Am

**Who I Am**

I stand in Terra's office Monday afternoon and I shift my weight from foot to foot, "So.. About what you asked me Thursday.."

He raises an eyebrow, leaning back, "Yeah?"

I smile, trying to hide my blushing, "I'll go out with you."

His eyes brighten and he smiles wide, "Seriously? That's great!"

"Just don't go crazy spending money on me," I warn, grinning, "I kind of like looking like a delinquent. You buy me too many nice things, people will see past my edgy demeanor."

He laughs, winking, "You got it, kid."

I sit beside his desk, "So, work?"

"Go get me some coffee." he replies, reading the papers on his desk. I nod and head to the lobby. I wait in the elevator, butterflies fluttering in my stomach, my heart beats quickly. I'm excited. Terra's my first boyfriend. I've had girlfriends, but this is different. The elevator lands at the lobby and I get out. As I step out, I hear a familiar voice, "Roxas?"

I look up, my heart stops. _Xion_. Shit, I dumped her last year. She smiles softly, "Um, where's my Mom's office?"

"Tifa?" I choke out, "Don't know. Check Dad's office, she's usually there I think. He can help."

She nods and passes me, getting into the elevator. I breathe out as the doors close behind me. I haven't seen her since last year, when I dumped her because she was moving in with her Dad in Traverse Town. Is she moving back? Or is it some custody thing? Her Mom gets her every other weekend or something? I shake my head, _Why do I care?_ I guess I just expected screaming and crying when we finally saw one another again. The breakup wasn't exactly nice.

I sigh and head to the small coffee station by the front desk. I get Terra's coffee, and make a cup for myself. Not sure if I'm allowed to do that, but I'm doing it anyway. I go back to the elevator and use my cup to press the eight button for Terra's floor. I go back to his office and set his coffee on the side of his desk. He smiles at me, "Coffee drinker?"

I shrug, sipping the hot beverage, "Every so often."

"You know coffee stunts your growth, right?" he smirks.

I roll my eyes, "Says the guy who drinks it every day and is over six foot. Bite me."

He raises an eyebrow, leaning towards me, still smirking. His voice is low and sexy, "That an invitation?"

I blush, glaring, "You wish."

He leans towards me a little more, grinning, "Oh, I do."

I roll my eyes and sip my coffee again, "Shut up and do your homework, Mr. Blake."

He snickers, "Can I do you instead?"

This shameless flirting is ridiculous. _Why am I still egging it on?_ I flip him off, "Can't get in my pants until after the first date, at least."

"I'll set the date." he leans back, grinning wide, "Your move."

I smirk, "Jokes on you. I don't fuck on the first date."

He winks, "Now you're just teasing me."

I laugh, "Says the guy who came on to me first."

"Not yet I haven't." he chuckles, "I already have you, so don't play hard-to-get now."

I roll my eyes again, giggling, "But playing hard-to-get is what I'm good at."

He returns to reading his papers, shaking his head with a smile on his face. I continue to drink my coffee as I pull my phone from my pocket.

* * *

"So, how's the internship going?" Ven asks as we eat dinner.

Dad looks at me expectantly, "Yeah, is Mr. Blake nice to you?"

I nod, "Yeah, he's great. Internship's going great."

Ven nods, "Good. At least he's nice to you."

"Are your grades improving, Roxas?" Dad asks.

Again, I nod, "Yeah, I think so. Ven's tutoring is really helping."

 _Shit. I didn't want Dad to know I've been having Ven tutor me._ Dad frowns lightly, confusion shining in his eyes, "Ventus is tutoring you? Why?"

I shrug, "Why else? My math sucks.."

I lower my head, muttering, "And my English.. History.. Science, and.. Everything.."

Dad sighs, "Why didn't you just tell me you've been having a hard time in school?"

I look at him, almost glaring, "Because you never listen?"

"Rox.." Ven warns.

Dad's eyes harden, "Excuse me?"

I shove my plate away, "I mean, the last time I tried to tell you something, you kicked me out for two weeks."

I stand abruptly, growling, "I had to live with Uncle Leon down in Traverse Town. Do you know how humiliating it was to ask them to let me stay because my Dad kicked me out for being gay?"

"Roxas, sit down." Dad replies, his body stiff.

"No!" I punch the table, "For once you're going to listen to me!"

"Roxas, stop.." Ven stares up at me.

"Listen to your brother, Roxas." Dad speaks through gritted teeth, "Sit. Down."

I shake, rage building in me. "I've been back home for two months and you've not once said your sorry for throwing me out!"

"That's because I'm not." The lack of emotion in his voice throws me off.

I shiver once, trying to contain myself, "What?"

"I'm not sorry for throwing you out." he replies, "It worked didn't it?"

"What.. Worked?" I clench my hands into fists.

"That disgusting phase of yours has passed. But now you've decided to put yourself in another damaging phase. A delinquent has no place in the world. Begging for change on the side of the road isn't a life worth living." he says.

Everything in my shatters. Even Ven is looking at him with wide eyes. I slowly compose myself and I step back, "So, what? Are you going to kick me out again? Because that 'disgusting phase' is who I am, Dad."

I glare at him, "I like men. And.. Just because I'm having trouble in school doesn't mean my life will amount to nothing."

"Get out." he closes his eyes, "I'm done wasting everything on you just to watch you throw it all away. You're nineteen. I'm not responsible for you anymore."

Ven turns to me, eyes wide, tearing up, "Roxas, don't go."

I turn and head to my room. I empty my back pack and shove as much clothes into it as I can. I put my dirty sneakers on and shove my phone in my pocket. I put on a jacket as Roxas enters the room, "Wait. Where are you going?"

I turn to him, smirking, "I'll go beg for change on the side of the road."

His voice breaks, "Roxas, that's not funny."

"Don't worry," I put my back pack on, "I got friends I can stay with. I'll see you at school tomorrow."

He grabs my hand as I try to leave the room, "Don't. Just.. Apologize.."

"That hurts, Ven," I smile at him, "I won't apologize for who I am. Maybe Dad will let me come back in a few months. Maybe I'll learn to shut my damn mouth by then."

I kiss his forehead, pulling my hand away, "I'll see you tomorrow."

I leave the room and stare at the front door as I make my way across the hall between the kitchen and the living room. I can feel Dad's eyes on me, but I refuse to look at him. I open the door and head out. I close the door behind me and zip up my jacket as I cross the yard. I get to the sidewalk and follow it north. The more steps I take away from the house, the more the anger is replaced with sadness. _What if he won't let me come back this time?_


	6. Where I'll Go

**Where I'll Go**

I pull my hood up, shivering. The night's cold, I should have grabbed a thicker jacket. I'll text Ven to bring me one to school. I pull my phone from my pocket, turning on a random Asking Alexandria song as I look through my contacts for friends that are the most likely to let me stay for at least two weeks. I settle on Hayner first and send him a quick text: **Dad kicked me out, can I stay with you for a week or so?**

I continue down the street in the darkness for a few minutes before my phone buzzes with Hayner's reply.

 **Sorry, Rox. Parents said no. :( Let me know if you find someone to take you in. I'm scared for you, man.**

I sigh and go back to my contacts list. It takes about twenty minutes to get "No" from everyone in my contacts list that aren't family members. The only people left in the list are Dad, Ven, my cousin Sora, and his Dad, Leon. I sigh,"I really wanted to stay in town so I could stay in school. Guess I'm going back to Traverse Town.. Sorry, Ven."

I stand at corner stop sign and call Sora. I get his voicemail so I call Leon. He must be at work, cause I get his voicemail, too. I leave a message before hanging up. I stick my hands in my pockets, shivering. The music blasting in my ears doesn't calm me like usual, so I pull the headphones out, before putting my hands back in my pockets. I look up at the cloudy night sky and shiver again as freezing wind blows straight through my clothes.

I pull my phone back out and call Ven. His voice is anxious as he answers, "Roxas, did you find someone to stay with?"

"No," I reply, "None of my friends can house me, and Uncle Leon didn't answer the phone when I called to ask him. I left him a message, so.. He'll probably come get me in a few hours."

"That's not fair. Dad can't just kick you out like this.." he whimpers.

I sigh, "Actually, he can. He's right, I'm nineteen. I'm legally old enough to be kicked out and he won't get in trouble with the law over it."

"You need to get somewhere safe. It's supposed to snow soon. You'll get sick if you stay out there." he groans softly.

"Not like I can go anywhere right now," I continue down the road, "I'm heading to the nearest bus station. If Leon calls me back, I'll have him pick me up there."

"Roxas," Ven sniffs, "Please come back. I can talk to Dad, get him to reconsider.."

"Save your breath." I look up at the clouds as I walk, "You'd be out here, too, if Dad knew you're gay as well. Just.. Stay smart, Ven. Smart gets you places. I'll call you in the morning, or after you get out of school."

I hang up on him and put my headphones back in my ears. I resume the song I had been playing and cross my arms, trying to stay warm. A car drives by and then it slows to a stop until I meet up with it. I stop, frowning. I pull my headphones out, stiffening. I relax when the window rolls down and Terra's the one behind the wheel. He tilts his head, "Kind of late for a walk, don't you think, Roxas?"

I smile lightly, "Can you give me a ride to the bus station? My Dad kind of kicked me out."

He frowns, "He kicked you out? What for?"

He moves and opens the passenger door, "Get in, it's freezing out there."

I gladly get in the car, shivering. I close the door behind me and he presses a button on his door, rolling my window up. He turns the heater up, then turns back to me. His eyes are soft and worried, "What happened?"

I sigh, "Well.. We got in a fight because I didn't tell him I've been having my brother tutor me. He was mad I didn't tell him I was having trouble, and I blurted out that I don't tell him things 'cause he doesn't listen. He kicked me out a few months ago, too. Had to stay with my uncle down in Traverse Town. For the exact same reason he's kicked me out this time. Only this time, I'm not sure he'll let me come back.."

"What's the reason?" he takes my hand, rubbing my knuckles.

I look back at him, "That I'm gay. And I won't pretend I'm not anymore."

He sighs, "That's a stupid reason to throw your kid out over."

He shakes his head, driving down the road. We sit in silence as he drives and I frown when we pass the bus station.

"Um, that's the bus station back there." I say.

He smiles at me, "Do you know how sketchy those places are at night? No way I'm leaving my boyfriend there."

I blush lightly, "So.. Where are we going?"

"My place," he replies, "You don't mind staying with me, do you? I'll even take you to the high school in the morning. Free of charge and everything."

I stare at him, "Are you serious?"

He grins, "Of course. I'll miss you at work, though."

I raise an eyebrow, smiling as a thought enters my head, "Who says I'm quitting?"

"You're not?" he asks.

"What better way to get back at my Dad for kicking me out, then having him have to look at me while he's at work?" I reply.

"You sure that's a good idea? " Terra frowns.

I roll my eyes, "If he fires me, which I assume will happen, it's no loss to me. I'll just hang out in your office until it's time to go home."

He shrugs, "I guess that's okay. Just don't tell him we're a thing, I kind of need to keep my job."

I roll my eyes again, "I won't jeopardize your job, Terra. I'm not insensitive."

He smiles, winking at me, "That was partly a joke."

I smile back and we pull into the drive way of a neat little house with white paint and a blue shingled roof. The door is white and has a nice small stained glass window in the center of it. We get out of the car and I follow Terra to the door. He unlocks it and then holds it open for me, "Welcome to my humble abode."


	7. A Promise of Secrets To Keep

**A Promise of Secrets To Keep**

Terra drops me off at school the next morning and winks as I get out, "Give me a ring when you get out, I'll come pick you up."

I look back at him, "Can you get away with leaving work and coming back like that?"

He smiles, "I'll let you know if they don't let me leave. I don't work late today, so you shouldn't have to wait more than three hours after school for me to take you home."

I nod, "That's fine. If you can't come get me, I'll just hang out in the Hastings that's down the hill behind the school."

He waves as he drives away and I wave back. I sigh, then turn towards the school. _I'm too early._ Terra has to be at work at seven-thirty, so I'm here ten after seven. _Way too early._ I doubt the teachers are even here yet. I know Ven won't even be waking up for school until seven-thirty, bus doesn't go down our street until almost eight. I shake my head, "I'm way too early. School doesn't even start until eight-thirty."

I sigh again and walk towards the cafeteria. I don't know if it'll be open yet, but it's freezing out here, and I want to get somewhere warm. The school's doors don't open until seven-thirty, so the cafeteria's the best bet I have. I go to the cafeteria's doors and peer inside. I can see a few lunch ladies setting the tables out, cleaning them before everyone gets here. I assume some more workers are cooking breakfast, too. I try the doors and they're both locked, so I knock, hoping they let me in.

One of the workers looks up from cleaning a table and I wave, smiling lightly. She comes over and unlocks the door, opening it, she smiles lightly, "You do know the school doesn't like the students being here earlier than seven-thirty, don't you?"

I shiver as the wind blows, "I do, I just.. My living situation is.. Interesting and I had to be here early because my.. Roommate has to be at work around this time, and we live too far to walk, so.."

Her smile widens a little and she pulls me inside, "Don't worry about it, we won't tell. Sit down somewhere, breakfast will be ready soon."

I sit at a table near the door and I wait. Before long, the cafeteria is full of students. I look around for Ven as I eat the pancakes the workers made for today. I'm slightly startled when Ven suddenly plops down beside me. He crosses his arms and playfully glares, puffing out his cheeks like he did when he was little, "You didn't call me before I got here."

I blink, then laugh softly, "I've been waiting for you, and completely forgot I could call!"

His eyes soften and he smiles softly, "You'd lose your head if it wasn't attached to your body.."

I nod smiling back at him, "Maybe. But that's what I got you for. My big shot lawyer brother is always gonna have my back, yeah?"

He chuckles, looking down, "You goofball.."

I sigh, "So.. Did you talk to Dad about me coming back?"

He shakes his head, "I did. Dad's still mad, he says you can't come back."

I nod again, "I expected that. Same thing happened last time. It took him almost two weeks to cool down enough to let me come back. Though, I had to pretend I was 'cured.' I'm not doing that again. I'm sick of hiding."

"Maybe hiding is better.." Ven stares at the table, I can see his hands shaking as he continues, "Maybe keeping secrets is safer.. If they don't know they can't hurt you.."

"Trust me, secrets only hurt you in the end." I state, "Besides, you're a horrible liar. You can't keep secrets, if someone looks hard enough, they'll see everything you're trying to hide. You always look so guilty when you try to keep secrets."

He glares at me, "What, and you're a criminal master mind?"

I hug him, "Not even close. That's why we need each other. I'll always be around to keep you safe, even if you don't see me, and I know you'll be there for me, too."

He hugs me back, "Yeah.. Of course.."

We just hug each other for a few minutes before he pulls away, "Wait, who are you staying with? Uncle Leon won't waste so much gas money taking you to and from school all the way from Traverse Town."

I shake my head, "No, I'm not staying with Uncle Leon."

He smiles softly, looking relieved, "Oh? Who are you staying with then? Hayner? Pence?"

I shake my head again, "Nope. But that's a secret I'm going to keep for now, okay?"

He crosses his arms, "Didn't you just say keeping secrets is bad?"

"Not if they're the right secrets to keep." I reply.

He huffs, "Come on, tell me. I won't tell Dad, you know that."

I lean close, "Promise you won't tell anyone?"

He leans in, nodding, "Of course. I won't tell a soul, cross my heart."

He holds up his pinkie. I smile. It's such a childish thing we do, but it's endearing. We don't do it often, in fact we haven't since we were children. I cross my pinkie with his, "And hope to fly."

He nods, "It's a promise, now tell me."

I lean closer, whispering in his ear, "I have a boyfriend, he's a little older, so he doesn't go to school. That's who I'm staying with."

He leans back, staring at me with awe, "Seriously? What's his name?"

"I'll tell you later." I smile, going back to my pancakes, "Now go get breakfast, school starts soon."


	8. Settling In

**Settling In**

"Stay after school with me," I walk beside Ven as he heads to the buses, "Come on, you can walk home later."

He smiles softly, "I'd love to, but I'd have to ask Dad. He's working right now, so I don't think he'll answer before my bus leaves."

"So, just stay." I say, "There's a chance he won't answer you anyway, so no harm done. Come on, Ven. I'm stuck until my boyfriend gets off work anyway."

"He'll get mad if I don't even ask." Ven replies, "So, it's safer just to ride the bus home."

"Please?" I pout, trying to win him over, "I won't get to see you very often anymore. We don't have many classes together, and Dad kicked me out, so.."

My brother is replaced with guilt, and I know I've won. He sighs, "Well.. Okay.. I'll just tell him I'm staying after to tutor a friend."

He pulls his phone out and texts Dad. I grin, "Great, we're going to Hastings, it's just behind the school."

He shakes his head, smiling, "Fine. But you have to do your homework while we're there."

"Do your homework," I laugh, leading him away from the buses.

He grins, "Mine's already done. Some of us don't sleep through Home Room."

I roll my eyes, "Sleeping is what Home Room is for. It's just twenty minutes at the end of the school day doing nothing. It's not even a real class."

He laughs, "That useless class is for doing homework so you don't forget once you're home."

"Teacher's pet," I smirk.

"Delinquent," he chuckles.

* * *

I lounge in a chair near the comic section of Hastings, reading a random comic I took off one of the shelves. Ven snatches the comic from me, smirking, "That's not homework, Rox."

I smirk, "Sure it is. It's very important to know all the names of Batman's enemies."

He rolls his eyes and puts the comic back on the shelf. He turns back to me, putting his hands on his hips, "Homework, now."

I salute, "Yes, Mom."

He punches me playfully, but his eyes are sad. I cough, looking away, "Sorry."

He shakes his head, kneeling by the chair, "I'll help, if you need it."

I nod and pull my homework from my bag. We spend thirty minutes doing my homework, and I don't need his help much, which makes me feel a little better about myself. Once that's done, we both lounge around, reading manga and comics for almost two hours. Ven sighs, "I should probably get home."

I open my mouth to reply but I'm distracted by my phone ringing. I answer, seeing it's Terra, "Hello?"

"Hey, I just passed the school, where you at?" Terra replies.

I smile, "You know where Hastings is? We'll be waiting by the front door."

"We?" he asks.

"My brother and I," I lick my lips, "Um.. Would you mind giving him a ride home? He stayed after school to keep my company."

"Roxas, you don't have to do that.." Ven frowns lightly.

I grin at him as Terra accepts, "Already done, bro."

I hang up and grab my bag off the floor, "Come on, Ven, he's about to pull up in front of the store."

He follows me out and we wait for a moment before Terra's familiar car pulls up in front of us. I smile and get in the front seat. Ven gets in back, smiling softly, "Um, thanks.."

I smile, "This is my brother, Ventus, everyone calls him Ven. Ven, this is Terra."

Terra looks back at smiles at him, "No problem. Nice to meet you, kid. Man, are you and Roxas identical?"

"Y-yeah." Ven looks out the window.

Terra smirks, "Should have known, can't tell you apart except for your clothing choice."

Ven frowns, "Do I have bad taste in clothes?"

Terra says "No" as I say "Yes," and we all laugh as Terra pulls out of the parking lot. I give Terra directions to the house I was kicked out of, then say my goodbyes as Ven gets out of the car. I watch him leave and a sadness washes over me. I felt this way the first time I was kicked out, too. I'm homesick. Or, more so "Ven-sick." I miss spending every moment of every day with Ven.

Terra smiles at me as we leave the house, "Your brother seems really nice."

"He is," I sigh, "I'm technically, the 'evil' twin."

"That so?" he chuckles, "You don't seem evil."

"Well, I'm the problem child then." I reply.

He frowns, "Rox.."

I shake my head, "Don't worry about it. I'm just upset at my Dad. So, he fired me, huh?"

He nods, "Wouldn't even let me come get you after school. He said he didn't know where you were. Said you up and moved out last night. I didn't call him on his bullshit, though. That would have given us away."

"Yeah, that wouldn't have been good." I sigh, "Did he seem mad when you mentioned me?"

"Not mad," he shakes his head, "More disappointed, I think. Either way, he's wrong."

"I told my brother about us," I look at him, "Is that okay?"

He shrugs, "Sure, as long as he doesn't say anything to Mr. Strife."

"He won"t," I assure him, "Ven won't betray me like that. He promised."

Terra nods, "Well, as long as he keeps it secret, I don't see a problem with him knowing."

I smile, "Great."

He smiles back, "So, what do you want for dinner? I can cook, or we can get take out?"

I shrug, "You worked all day, you don't need to cook."

He laughs, "Rox, you've been to my workplace, I sit behind a desk all day."

I chuckle, "Are you arguing to cook?"

He grins, "I am."

I laugh, "Cooking it is then."

We get back to his house and go in. I sit my bag under the coffee table and sit on the couch, turning the t.v. on. He goes to the kitchen and gets ready to cook. After dinner, I lie on the couch, watching t.v. Terra leans over the couch, smiling at me, "You probably should have grabbed some clothes from your Dad's place. None of my clothes will fit you."

I shrug, "I'll have Ven bring me a few outfits to school for the next few days. He won't mind."

"That's good. Um.. Are you going to sleep in those? Is that comfortable enough for you?" he tilts his head, staring at me.

I shrug again, "It's fine."

He shakes his head, "I'll get you something to sleep in, hang on."

He leaves and comes back a few minutes later. He hands me a pair of black pajama bottoms and a gray T-shirt. They're obviously too big for me, so I try to hand them back and he shakes his head, "The pants have a jaw-string, it should make it easier to fit. This is all I got that might fit you. Put it on, get comfortable."

I roll my eyes and take the pajamas to the bathroom. I change into them and tie the string as tight as it will go and it's still too loose for my liking. The shirt is twice my size, most of it hangs off my shoulders. I look in the mirror and laugh, "Man, I look ridiculous."

Terra opens the door, chuckling, "Better ridiculous than uncomfortable."

I shrug, trying to keep the shirt from revealing too much, "I guess so. Thanks."

I go back to the couch and Terra taps my shoulder, "You know you can sleep in my room, right?"

I look up at him, "Really? Where will you sleep?"

He rolls his eyes, smiling, "In the bed with you, duh."

I blush, "O-oh?"

He laughs, pushing me towards his room, "Don't look at me like that. You're my boyfriend, it's not weird."

We go into his room and I go to the bed, getting comfortable under the cover. I watch Terra undress and I blush, looking away as he gets ready for bed. Terra gets in bed with me a moment later and he's laying so close to me. His voice is almost a whisper, "See? Isn't this better?"


	9. Confusion

**Confusion**

Terra drops me off at school too early, and the lunch ladies let me hang out in the cafeteria again. I sit at a table restlessly, last night was so weird and kind of uncomfortable. I think Terra's mad at me. I pull my phone from my pocket and call Ven again. He still doesn't answer and I sigh impatiently, _He must still be asleep._ I wait as I had yesterday, for Ven to come to school. When he finally arrives, he sits down beside me, "Sorry I missed your calls, my phone was on silent."

I shrug, grinning at him, "No problem man."

I sigh, "So I assume you didn't bring some clothes for me, then?"

He looks a little sad, "No, sorry. B-but I'll bring some tomorrow! I promise."

I shrug again, patting his shoulder, "I can always count on you."

"Are you okay?" he asks.

I frown, "Uh, yeah. Why?"

He tilts his head, staring at me, "Um.. You just.. You look.. Um.."

He looks down, "Did something happen last night?"

I raise an eyebrow, "What are you going on about, Ven?"

He raises his phone and takes a picture of me. I blink, "Uh.. What?"

He hands me the phone and I look at the picture in confusion. There's a bruise on my neck. Where did that come from? I frown and hand the phone back to him, "I have no idea how that got there."

He puts his phone away, his eyes never leave me, "Did he hit you?"

"What?" I chuckle lightly, "No! I must have fallen off the bed or something and didn't notice."

"He took you to school, didn't he? He didn't notice it?" Ven looks suspicious, but I really have no idea how this happened. All that happened last night was that I slept in Terra's bed and he tries to get it on with me and I told him to stop. He was annoyed, but he didn't hit me. I roll my eyes at my worrisome brother, "I probably just fell. It's no big deal."

Ven looks a little relieved, "Okay.. If he does ever hit you.. You'll tell me, right?"

I hug him, "You don't have to worry about that."

He hugs me back, "Promise."

I sigh, pulling back. I smile at him, "I promise if something happens like that, I'll tell you."

He smiles back, looking more relieved, "That's good. Thanks.."

"No problem," I stand, "Let's get some breakfast."

He nods and follows me to the breakfast line. We go through and get our pancake breakfast then go back to our table. We eat in silence and I see Ven keeps sneaking glances at me. I sigh, turning to him, "Why do you keep looking at me like that? I told you, the bruise is nothing."

"I'm sorry," he sighs, "I'm just worrying over nothing, I guess.."

I shake my head, "Don't worry about it. I'm fine. How are you doing? Is Dad being nice to you?"

He nods, "I'm fine, Dad's the same as ever."

I looks down, "Has he cleaned out my room?"

Ven gasps, "Of course not."

I look back at him, "He did last time. He'll probably do it this time, too."

"I won't let him, okay?" Ven smiles reassuringly, "Everything will be fine."

I nod slowly, "Okay.. Thank, Ven."

He hugs me then goes back to eating his breakfast. I continue eating as well and then we head our separate ways to start the school day when the bell rings. After school I say goodbye to Ven and head down to Hastings again to wait for Terra. I sit at the comic section and pull my phone from my pocket. I frown lightly and text Terra, **_Hey I have this bruise on my neck. Did you notice it this morning?_**

He texts back a few minutes later, **_Bruise? Oh, you must mean the hickey._**

I scoff, ** _Hickey?_**

 ** _Yeah, from last night. Don't you remember?_**

 _Is that what it's from?_ I shake my head, **_Guess I forgot. Sorry to bother you at work._**

 ** _Don't worry about it. How was school?_**

I lean back in my chair, ** _School was fine, Ven sort of freaked out because of the bruise._** I replace "bruise" with "Hickey" and hit send.

 ** _I'll apologize to him later ;)_**

I roll my eyes, chuckling. _**Apologize to me.** _

_**Sorry, babe. ;D I get off in an hour. What do you want for dinner? Oh, did your brother bring you any clothing?**_

 _ **No, he will tomorrow though. And whatever's fine, I'm not picky with food.**_ I grab a comic off the shelf and start flipping through it. I leave Hastings an hour later and get in Terra's car, "How was work?"

"It was fine." he shrugs, driving back to his house.

"So, what are we doing for dinner?" I ask.

He shrugs again, "I'll just cook something up. Hm, you can borrow those pajamas again tonight since you still don't have clothes."

I look away from him, "Oh, okay.. Cool, thanks. Um.. I'm gonna sleep on the couch tonight. I, uh, kick sometimes.. Or sleepwalk."

He parks in the driveway and turns to me, "If you sleepwalk you definitely need to stay in bed with me, so I can keep you from wandering off and getting hurt."

I blush, shaking my head, "Don't worry about it."

He raises an eyebrow, "Why don't you want to sleep in bed with me, Roxas? Did I upset you last night?"

He leans really close to me and I back myself into the door. He moves from his seat and gets over me, pressing me against the door. I wince lightly as he holds me down, "T-Terra.."

He smirks, kissing me. He pulls back a moment later and I can't read his expression. He sighs, "Just get inside, Roxas. We'll talk about this later."

I quickly get out of the car and go inside. I'm confused, _What just happened?_ Terra comes in a moment later and goes to the kitchen to start dinner. I frown and lean back against the couch. Things are getting weird and I don't know what to do. I just need to give it some time and things will even out, I know it. I just need to calm down and let things get back on track.


End file.
